Blue Jays: 2013 MLB Draft Signing thread

[flafson]

Sounds like they are offering everyone fast advancement.

[G-Snarls]

Padres appear to have signed Renfroe:

 

Padres To Sign First-Rounder Hunter Renfroe

 

by Mark Polishuk, Jul 8 at 4:57 PM CST

 

The Padres are close to signing first-round draft pick Hunter Renfroe, as MLB.com's Corey Brock reports (via Twitter) that the Mississippi State outfielder is in San Diego today to take his physical. Once the physical is passed and the deal is signed, Renfroe will report to the Padres' short-season A ball affiliate later this week. Renfroe is advised by McKinnis Sports Management.

 

No terms of the deal are known, though the 13th overall pick carries an assigned slot value of $2.678MM. The Padres have agreed to terms with the rest of their picks from the first 10 rounds and are roughly $83K under their assigned draft pool budget, so it's possible this extra money could be used to give Renfroe a slightly-above slot deal. (Tip of the cap to Baseball America for the previous two links.)

 

Renfroe, 21, was originally a 31st-round pick for the Red Sox in the 2010 draft but he instead chose to attend Mississippi State and ended up improving his draft stock considerably. Baseball America ranked Renfroe as the 11th-best prospect of the 2013 draft class, while ESPN's Keith Law ranked him 12th and MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo ranked him 28th. Renfroe projects as a right fielder due to his strong throwing arm and plus speed. The right-handed hatter has "outstanding raw power" according to MLB.com's scouting report and has "progressed tremendously at the plate" in college, though "there's still some swing and miss to his game."

 

Once Renfroe's deal is finalized, he will be the 29th of the 33 first-round picks from the 2013 draft to sign contracts.

[flafson]

Padres appear to have signed Renfroe:

 

Padres To Sign First-Rounder Hunter Renfroe

 

by Mark Polishuk, Jul 8 at 4:57 PM CST

 

The Padres are close to signing first-round draft pick Hunter Renfroe, as MLB.com's Corey Brock reports (via Twitter) that the Mississippi State outfielder is in San Diego today to take his physical. Once the physical is passed and the deal is signed, Renfroe will report to the Padres' short-season A ball affiliate later this week. Renfroe is advised by McKinnis Sports Management.

 

No terms of the deal are known, though the 13th overall pick carries an assigned slot value of $2.678MM. The Padres have agreed to terms with the rest of their picks from the first 10 rounds and are roughly $83K under their assigned draft pool budget, so it's possible this extra money could be used to give Renfroe a slightly-above slot deal. (Tip of the cap to Baseball America for the previous two links.)

 

Renfroe, 21, was originally a 31st-round pick for the Red Sox in the 2010 draft but he instead chose to attend Mississippi State and ended up improving his draft stock considerably. Baseball America ranked Renfroe as the 11th-best prospect of the 2013 draft class, while ESPN's Keith Law ranked him 12th and MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo ranked him 28th. Renfroe projects as a right fielder due to his strong throwing arm and plus speed. The right-handed hatter has "outstanding raw power" according to MLB.com's scouting report and has "progressed tremendously at the plate" in college, though "there's still some swing and miss to his game."

 

Once Renfroe's deal is finalized, he will be the 29th of the 33 first-round picks from the 2013 draft to sign contracts.

 

 

See, if you are able to give enough money to high school kids who you think will get better, you save yourself a 1st or 2nd round pick down the road, plus it's very likely someone else will get him.

That's why it's a great strategy what AA is doing, save money and get another 2 guys who are likely to become 1st rounder in the next few years.

[theblujay]

No one that hits 95 from the left side is a nobody. Being a college senior means you have little leverage, not that your s***. Chances are they had a pre-draft deal struck, most likely less cash for a higher starting level and/or a promise to advance quickly.

 

Yeah I'm interested in following some of the college seniors who lead their teams in the CWS.

[Angrioter]

No one that hits 95 from the left side is a nobody. Being a college senior means you have little leverage, not that your s***. Chances are they had a pre-draft deal struck, most likely less cash for a higher starting level and/or a promise to advance quickly.

 

David Purcey, Juan Perez, Fabio Castro?

[OtisNixonFan]

David Purcey, Juan Perez, Fabio Castro?

 

They were all highly regarded at one point or another.

[ElNik2013]

Me no want another Beede situation, me want Bickford signed.

[Mikeleelop]

Me no want another Beede situation, me want Bickford signed.

 

Agree, big time. It's gonna hurt if Beede is a top 5 pick next year

[John_Havok]

 

4 1st rounders to go

[P2F]

 

4 1st rounders to go

 

Slot money for Renfroe; not a penny more or less.

[Angrioter]

[z3r0s]

 

I hope Jimmy is right... that would be a nice haul.

[Mikeleelop]

I think that it would be great as well. How does this compare to a "normal" draft the best player available course of action??

[Deadpool]

I think that it would be great as well. How does this compare to a "normal" draft the best player available course of action??

 

Well, I think strategy comes into play on that... If your "best player available" isn't on other teams' boards for another few rounds and you think you can wait on them, then maybe you move some pieces around to get guys you want that you think will go sooner. Obviously Telez isn't a 30th round talent, but AA figured he could wait that long to snag him. The actual bonus paid out will show how highly regarded AA (and the scouts) find these guys.

 

I don't really care how much money it takes, I want a guy with the name "Rowdy" in the system!

[G-Snarls]

Nicholson-Smith on signing Bickford:

 

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/coach-bickford-relaxed-as-deadline-nears/

[Angrioter]

Draft Database

http://ht.ly/mNXKp

[DuckDuckGose]

I hope Jimmy is right... that would be a nice haul.

 

Been positioned that way since the draft. AA needs to close the deals not just set himself up to sign both of them. As you said though, I hope Jimmy is right, that would be a nice haul!

[TwistedLogic]

 

http://i.imgur.com/EunFes6.png

 

 

The Jays have signed 9 of the 10 players they picked in the first ten rounds. This means that all of their remaining draft budget ($4,694,520) along with the 5% overage ($319,910) is available for their first and final pick, Phil Bickford. Any amount of money that is left in that pool after the Bickford signing will be available as overslot bonus that can be used to sign any player picked after the first ten rounds, of which the four most notable names are Tellez, Brentz, Lauer and Tewes, in that order. If the Jays sign Bickford for his exact slot, they will have exactly $2,093,430 (overage included), along with a base $100,000 assigned to each of their slots, to pursue these players. If the Jays choose not to sign Bickford, they will receive a compensatory pick in the following draft (likely to be pick 1.11 in 2014) and will forfeit the budget space allocated to their first round pick (along with the corresponding difference in the 5% overage) in 2013.

[8D]

Bryant going to sign for slot. I can't see how Bickford is going to get more than slot.

That leaves the extra cash for dem PROSPECTZ!!!!

[Mikeleelop]

I'd love to see the Jays sign Bickford, Brentz and Tellez. Any time now would be nice. Please and thank you

[ElNik2013]

As much as I want them to sign Bickford and get him in the system ASAP, if he wants over slot money, he can go ahead and risk being injured or not developing in college instead of in the minors with a big paycheck in the bank.

[flafson]

[Caper]

This article is old... there could be some bluffing but it seems to me Rowdy was (is?) intent on going to college.

 

http://www.elkgrovesports.com/2013/06/rowdy-drafted-finally.html

 

But, Tellez said early on in the draft he knew things couldn’t be worked out between him and any baseball club.

“I was contacted by quite a few teams, but the timing wasn’t right (to be drafted),” he said. “They didn’t have the things to offer us and as a family we decided that education was the way to go.”

 

Tellez has already signed a NCAA National Letter-of-Intent to play collegiately for Southern Cal.

 

“I’m now going to USC and help them win a couple national championships,” he said. “Getting the opportunity to play for a great program in the biggest media market and hit home runs for them is something I can look forward to.”

 

“That’s just another day, another game in the life of a baseball player,” Tellez said of the Blue Jays selection of him. “I am looking forward to playing three years at USC, get better and then be a first-rounder.”

[Abomination]

Obviously I've never been in the position myself, but I suspect it's a hell of a lot easier to take Rowdy's position on draft day than it is with a contract in front of you with your name on it and 7 figures on the check - possibly even late first round money.

 

I still don't understand these players. Can they not make an agreement with the organisation to go to university or college (but not play on the school team), then join the Jays during the summer? Some may not have the grades to get in on academic merit alone, but I bet a lot that really want the education do. Most of the high school guys seem to play one or two years in short season ball anyhow, so it's not like they'd miss much playing time if any. It's like the best summer job ever.

[Mikeleelop]

31 hours to the deadline. I'm looking forward to some good news!

 

Bentz and Tellez would be great. Another power LHP and for the first time in a while a power LH bat in the system

[Angrioter]

31 hours to the deadline. I'm looking forward to some good news!

 

Bentz and Tellez would be great. Another power LHP and for the first time in a while a power LH bat in the system

 

bad memories

Top Jays draft pick Deck McGuire signs 1 minute to deadline

 

One of the first things rookie Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos promised heading into his first June draft was that money would not decide whether the club could sign its top draft picks, as it had embarrassed them in 2009.

As such, as the midnight deadline on Monday approached for signing all 2010 drafted players, the Jays’ top pick (first round, 11th overall), college right-hander Deck McGuire, came to terms at 11:59 p.m. for a signing bonus of US $2 million.

 

“It was definitely right to the last minute,” Anthopoulos agreed. “Minute might be an understatement. It definitely went down to the wire. There’s so many components that go into a negotiation, I don’t know that it’s necessarily we were waiting. It’s just part of the negotiation back and forth, part of the dialogue. It’s definitely the latest that we’ve ever gone. Glad to have it done. Glad to have it behind us. Excited to have the players in the fold.”

Anthopoulos, in negotiations with McGuire and highly regarded fifth rounder Dickie Thon, and scouting director Andrew Tinnish with the other top picks announced at the deadline, spent the day coming to terms with six of their 56 draft selections. That brought to 33 the number under contract from the 2010 draft.

 

 

Earlier in the day the club announced the signings of their 15th round selection, left-hander Zak Adams, a Texas high schooler, and their 17th round pick, right-hander Myles Jaye, a Georgia high school star. Later, as the deadline approached, it was prominent second rounder, high school left-hander Griffin Murphy (US$800,000), 61st overall; fourth-round right-hander Samuel Dyson (US$600,000) and Thon (US$1.5 million).

 

Thon had been projected to go higher, but dropped down because of his announced commitment to be treated like a first rounder or to attend Rice University. Earlier in the summer, Thon, the son of a former major-league player of the same name, was reported to have agreed with the Jays, but the signing had not been announced.

 

“Thon is one we continued to talk,” Anthopoulos said of the lag between rumour and agreement. “I know a lot was mentioned in the media. A lot of what was reported, the player from the get-go placed a value on himself and his family did and they didn’t really deviate or waver from it much. We finally decided tonight that we would go ahead and get the deal done.”

 

The Jays now have signed their top nine picks among the top 113 overall. Major League Baseball had unofficially advised teams, giving them plausible denial, that if they were planning on paying their draft picks above the commissioner’s office recommended slot values, they should delay negotiations until Aug. 10.

That rumoured commissioner’s mandate left just five days for teams to come to terms with their top players, putting extra pressure on clubs and families while preventing player representatives from ratcheting up the signing bonuses using comparable picks as a bargaining tool. It’s a dangerous MLB plan, but one the Jays adhered to. Money factors did not affect the Jays’ timing.

 

“It’s not a deterrent if we feel the value’s there and it makes sense,” Anthopoulos said. “I guess if we felt as a baseball group and presented our case to Paul (Beeston) the value we placed on that player and that player’s willingness to sign, it wasn’t going to be an issue of we didn’t have the funds to pay the player. You have to have a number that’s really your final number and is as far as you’re willing to go and you have to be prepared to walk away. That’s the only way to go about the process.”

This successful draft and some of his earlier international signings will be a boon for Anthopoulos’s credibility in the marketplace, surrounded as he is by many young scouts and advisers.

 

McGuire, a junior pitcher at Georgia Tech, compares favourably to 2009 first rounder Chad Jenkins, blessed with similar physical size and stuff. But Jenkins attended a small Georgia college and is considered behind McGuire at the same stage of being drafted. McGuire would likely be ready for a full-season Class A team like Lansing or Dunedin in April 2011. The 6-foot-6, 218-lb. right-hander has four quality pitches and in three seasons for the Yellow Jackets, he was 28-7, with a 3.28 ERA in 45 starts.

[Angrioter]

Matt Boyd

[Caper]

@Wilnerness590: I would think it's a physical issue. #Bluejays #Jays #RaiseTheBar @timambrose: @Wilnerness590 If not because of $$ then why?

 

Physical issue my ass... Why didn't we find that out before then. And before AA was so confident to the media that we would sign him. This was probably the plan all along

 

It might still be the plan... could be posturing. I would prefer an 11th overall pick in a much deeper draft. Wish Phil the best.... I personally think it's a great move. Imagine if NBA teams could do that.... probably the 1st 5 teams would have not signed their players.

[Angrioter]

Maybe Bickford just decided he'd rather to go college. Or that it was the plan all along.

 

AA f***ing the draft system again!!!

[Caper]

Agreed

 

We drafted injured pitchers a lot this year, so we don't sign Bickford because of physical issue? Okay....

 

Surely you can see the difference?